Thomas P. Riccio
Encyclopedia
Thomas P. Riccio is an American
multimedia artist
and academic. He received his BA
from Cleveland State University
in English Literature in 1978, his MFA
from Boston University
in 1982, and studied in the PhD
program in Performance Studies at New York University
from 1983 to 1984. Riccio has directed nearly one hundred plays.
, and Artistic Director of Tuma Theater, an Inuit theatre group. He continued in both of these positions until 2003. From 2003 until present he has been the Professor of Performance Studies and Aesthetic Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas
.
Since 2006 Riccio has worked with David Hanson at Hanson Robotics as a lead narrative engineer. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Korean National University for the Arts, California Institute of Integral Studies
and the University of Dar es Salaam
. He is a producing artist with Project X a Dallas-based performance collective http://www.projectxtheatre.com/about.html.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
multimedia artist
Multimedia artist
Multimedia artists are contemporary artists who use a wide range of media to communicate their art. Multimedia art includes, by definition, more than one medium, therefore multimedia artists use visual art in combination with sound art, moving images and other media...
and academic. He received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969...
in English Literature in 1978, his MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1982, and studied in the PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
program in Performance Studies at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
from 1983 to 1984. Riccio has directed nearly one hundred plays.
Career
In 1980 Riccio was appointed Assistant Literary Director at the American Repertory Theatre, Cambridge, MA and Research Assistant to Robert Brustein. In 1984 he was appointed Dramaturg and Resident Director of the Cleveland Play House. 1985 he served as Artistic Director of the Organic Theatre, Chicago. In 1988 Riccio was appointed as Professor of Theatre at the University of Alaska FairbanksUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
, and Artistic Director of Tuma Theater, an Inuit theatre group. He continued in both of these positions until 2003. From 2003 until present he has been the Professor of Performance Studies and Aesthetic Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
.
Since 2006 Riccio has worked with David Hanson at Hanson Robotics as a lead narrative engineer. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Korean National University for the Arts, California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies is a private institution of higher education founded in 1968 and based in San Francisco, California. It currently operates in three locations just south of the Civic Center district...
and the University of Dar es Salaam
University of Dar es Salaam
The University of Dar es Salaam is a university in the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam. The university was born out of a decision taken in 1970 to split the then University of East Africa into three independent universities; Makerere University , University of Nairobi and University of Dar es...
. He is a producing artist with Project X a Dallas-based performance collective http://www.projectxtheatre.com/about.html.
Notable works
- 2003: Published the book Reinventing Traditional Alaska Native Performance
- 2004: Initiated the "Story Lab" and Artistic Director
- 2004: Kartasi, a new media performance work
- 2006: Alpha Male, a cyberpunk paranoia new media performance work
- 2006: There is Never a Reference Point, a performance work about a person with multiple personality disorder
- 2006: Inuit, a play awarded the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation Distinction Prize in Playwrighting
- 2007: Participated in the creation of Einstein, a life-like conversational robot, which was on display at the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum NYC (12/2006 to 05/2007)
- 2007: Published the book Performing Africa: Remixing Culture, Theatre and Tradition"
- 2008: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a performance/media immersion inspired by the 1920 Expressionist film
- 2008: So There and Orange Oranges, two short plays for the theatre, Festival of Independent Theaters, Dallas
- 2009: Some People a theatre/media performance work, Out of the Loop Festival and Project X, Dallas
- 2009: Andgena (The First), a devised performance work, Lul Theatre and Litooma, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, also conducted workshops at Addis Ababa University.
- 2009: Orange Oranges play published by Sojourn Literary Journal
- 2009: Video Documentary Director and Editor, There is Never a Reference Point premiere Dallas Video Festival
- 2009-2010: Featured Performance Artist, "All the World's a Stage," Dallas Museum of Art
- 2010: Published Articles "Robot as Ritual Oracle and Fetish," University of Tartu (Estonia), "Performance of Body, Space and Place" chapter in Healing Collective Trauma, Springer Publishing
- 2010: Participated in the creation of Bina, a conversational robot for Hanson Robotics
- 2010: PlayLab reading of new play TNB (Typical Nigga Behavior) Great Plains Theatre Conference and Workshop Instructor